Man Utd ‘attentive’ to France star as Ten Hag looks to expose ‘personal weakness’ to replace Mount
Antoine Griezmann’s admiration of David Beckham could put Manchester United in a strong position to sign him from Atletico Madrid, according to reports.
Griezmann has played his best football under Diego Simeone at Atletico, spending two forgettable years at Barcelona in between both of his spells in the Spanish capital.
The Frenchman is flying for club and country this year, scoring 12 goals in 16 games for the Spanish giants in 2023/24.
Given his incredible form this term, Griezmann will probably be gutted to see himself being linked with a move to Manchester United, even if there is talk of the Red Devils tripling his wages.
Jokes aside, a report from Spanish outlet Sport says Chelsea and United are both keeping a close eye on the 32-year-old, who is out of contract in 2026.
The player reportedly has a release clause worth a measly €25million (£22million) and both Premier League clubs could trigger it in a bid to solve their goalscoring problems.
It is noted that United are ‘especially attentive’ to Griezmann’s situation in Madrid and Erik ten Hag’s side could be in a strong position as the former Barcelona striker ‘idolises’ David Beckham and wears the No. 7 shirt for him.
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This means the club are a ‘personal weakness’ and could easily convince Griezmann – who ‘has never hidden his excitement about playing in other leagues’ – to make the move to England at the age of 32.
Griezmann has been forgiven by the Atletico fan base after joining Barcelona in 2019 but it is noted that lightning will not strike again if he ditches them for Old Trafford.
Fabrizio Romano is definitely a more reliable source than Sport and the transfer expert says he does not expect the France star to swap Madrid for Manchester.
He told CaughtOffside: “There have been some surprising stories about Antoine Griezmann being a target for Manchester United, but I think it’s impossible, honestly.
“I’m not aware of any contacts, but it’s also not just about that, it’s about the player’s desire to stay at Atletico Madrid.”
Meanwhile, former United striker Louis Saha thinks the links to Griezmann are bad news for summer signing Mason Mount as it shows Ten Hag is already looking to replace him.
Saha believes his compatriot “is the type of player that Manchester United need” but cannot see it happening.
“Antoine Griezmann is a talented player and unlike many players, there’s never any doubts about him,” Saha told Paddy Power.
“He’s very mobile and physically he’ll always find the right area. Manchester United’s interest in him shows straight away that there is something wrong.
“They already have Mason Mount, but it means they’re looking at a replacement for him because Griezmann is the type of player that Manchester United need. He’s a clever player who can be in the pocket, create things and score goals.
“He is a great player who has scored so many goals for Atletico Madrid and it would be really exciting, but I don’t see him as a future signing for Manchester United.
“No disrespect to Griezmann at all, but I don’t understand why they would be looking at him. He’s a short-term solution but I don’t see the future of Manchester United with Antoine Griezmann in it.”
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